Fionn. (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn launched an impressive last-to-first rally to collar Totally Justified in the final 50 yards to win Saturday’s 56th running of the $272,250 Regret Stakes (Grade III) at Churchill Downs by a half-length.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Fionn covered 1 1/8 miles on “firm” turf in 1:47.29, which narrowly eclipsed Lady of Venice’s 2006 stakes record of 1:47.31.
Classic Q, the 3-2 favorite in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies, dictated the terms as she clipped off fractions of :22.90, :46.75 and 1:11.08 with Fionn relaxed in last down the backstretch. Classic Q tired at the top of the stretch as Totally Justified took over at the three-sixteenths pole. Fionn was hitting her best stride, carved her way through competition in upper stretch and tipped out to the center to power home for the come-from-behind triumph.
“They were going fast up front, so I just let her get into a nice rhythm and do her thing,” Geroux said. “She kept finding more late and really dug in.”
Fionn, the 4-1 second betting choice, paid $10.08, $4.56 and $3.28. Totally Justified, under Luis Saez at 4-1, returned $6.08 and $4.56. Hereforagoodtime, with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle at odds of 5-1, finished another length back in third and paid $4.02.
Aterradora (IRE), Fixin to Bee, Golden Sunshine, Classic Q, Jalila and Mechaya completed the order of finish. Deloraine and Lush Lips (GB) were scratched.
With her victory worth $163,920, Fionn boosted her career earnings to $349,270 from a record of 4-1-1 in six starts. She won the $100,000 Allen Black Cat LaCombe Memorial at Fair Grounds in March and finished third in the $500,000 Appalachian (GII) at Keeneland in April.
“She’s been a really consistent filly and I think she will keep improving off of this,” Cox said. “It was a good trip.”
Fionn is a daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gaelic Gold and was bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms LLC.
The Regret honors the 1915 Kentucky Derby-winning filly.
